New Hampshire fishing reports
247 reports for New Hampshire — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Merrimack River smallmouth locked in through Hooksett stretch
Smallmouth bass are locked into a strong bite on the Merrimack River this week, with action described as excellent through both the Lowell-to-Lawrence stretch and the Hooksett, New Hampshire section, per Roger Aziz, Jr. writing for The Fisherman — New England Freshwater. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for the Merrimack or Lake Winnipesaukee this cycle, so treat water temp and flow as unconfirmed until checked on the water. Late August under a Full Moon typically pushes smallmouth and largemouth toward deeper structure and drop-offs during peak daylight, with the sharpest bite windows compressing around dawn, dusk, and low-light stretches. Lake trout and landlocked salmon on Winnipesaukee are likely holding deep as surface water stays warm, though no direct lake reports came in this week. For now, moving-current sections of the Merrimack are the clearest target if smallmouth is the goal.
Late-Summer Transition Bite Building on Winnipesaukee
Direct reports out of Lake Winnipesaukee itself were thin this week, but the closest concrete data point comes from just south on the Merrimack River, where The Fisherman — New England Freshwater notes smallmouth bass action remains excellent through the Lowell-to-Lawrence stretch and into the Hooksett, NH section — a useful read on how New Hampshire's warmwater bite is trending as August winds down. On Winnipesaukee, expect the broader late-summer pattern anglers elsewhere are already describing: Tactical Bassin (blog) flags this window as the time to work shallow points early and late with topwater and moving baits before sliding deeper as the sun climbs, with bass keying on baitfish schools rather than sitting tight to structure. Smallmouth should stay the lake's most consistent player, largemouth still catchable around weed edges, and lake trout and landlocked salmon settling into their typical slow, deep, late-August holding pattern. Tonight's full moon may stretch the low-light feeding window for early risers and evening casters alike.
Big stripers push toward NH waters as Gulf of Maine cod reopens
Striped bass are the headline story from Boston to Maine right now: The Fisherman's New England Video Fishing Forecast reports "seriously big fish" showing north of the Cape as fall signals build. Closer to home, Beauport Fishing Adventures out of Gloucester (via The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME) describes striper action as all big fish at the moment — "none small enough to keep" — with heavy squid and pogy schools holding those bass tight to bait. Bluefish, by contrast, remain completely absent above Salem per the same report. The bigger news for Gulf of Maine anglers heading into fall: Dave Anderson's report notes a 1-fish codfish limit at a 23-inch minimum opens September 1, the first Gulf of Maine cod access all year, though the Southern New England stock stays closed through year-end. No buoy or gauge readings came back for this stretch today, so check tide tables and dress for shifting conditions before heading out.
Merrimack Smallmouth Keep Biting Through Late Summer Heat
Smallmouth bass fishing along the Merrimack River remains excellent through late August, with anglers finding good numbers from the Lowell-to-Lawrence stretch up into the Hooksett, New Hampshire section, per this week's New England Freshwater roundup from The Fisherman. That's the strongest direct read we have on the Merrimack corridor right now — bronzebacks are holding to a typical late-summer pattern, feeding hardest during low light on baitfish-imitating presentations before easing off as the day warms. Up at Lake Winnipesaukee, no fresh buoy or gauge data came through this cycle, so we're leaning on typical late-August patterns: largemouth working weed edges and morning topwater, while lake trout and landlocked salmon slide deeper as surface temps hold in the mid-70s. With a waxing gibbous moon building toward full, expect stronger low-light bites at dawn and dusk through the weekend. Check current state regulations before harvesting.
Late-Summer Smallmouth Push Signals Prime Time on Winnipesaukee
No direct reports came in from Lake Winnipesaukee itself today, but the closest regional signal is a strong one: per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, angler Roger Aziz Jr. described smallmouth bass action as 'excellent' on the Merrimack River's Lowell-to-Lawrence stretch running into Hooksett, New Hampshire this week. That's the same rocky, current-swept structure smallmouth key on across the state, including Winnipesaukee's points and mid-lake humps, so it's a fair proxy for how the state's smallmouth are behaving right now. With no buoy or gauge feed available for the lake today, we can't confirm surface temp or flow — treat those as unknowns until you check a local source. Typical for late August, expect largemouth easing toward weed edges and lake trout and landlocked salmon holding deep on the thermocline, both better targets for downrigger or leadcore trollers than casters right now. The waxing gibbous moon should keep low-light feeding windows active.
Gulf of Maine cod reopens as big stripers push toward Maine
Atlantic cod reopens in the Gulf of Maine on September 1 with a one-fish limit at a 23-inch minimum, per The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME — a meaningful reset after cod fishing sat closed all of 2026 (the Southern New England Stock Area stays shut through year-end). That's the news anglers on the NH coast should plan around this week. Striper action has, in the words of The Fisherman (Northeast)'s New England Video Fishing Forecast, 'caught fire' north of Cape Cod with some seriously big fish mixed in from Maine to Boston, and Beauport Fishing Adventures in Gloucester (The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME) reports bass running all big fish right now — nothing small enough to keep — with squid and pogies thick in the water and whales pushing back inshore toward Jeffreys Ledge. Bluefish, by contrast, are described as completely absent above Salem so far this season. No buoy or gauge readings came in for the NH coast this cycle, so treat the above as regional signal bleeding north toward the Gulf of Maine.
Merrimack Smallmouth Bite Stays Hot Through Hooksett
Smallmouth bass action remains excellent along the Merrimack River's Hooksett, New Hampshire stretch this week, according to a report filed by Roger Aziz, Jr. and carried by The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, with bronzebacks holding well on the river's current seams and rocky structure. No live buoy or gauge readings came back for the Merrimack/Winnipesaukee corridor this cycle, so there's no hard water-temp number to report — late-August freshwater in central NH typically runs low-to-mid 70s and starts easing as nights lengthen. We're not seeing direct Lake Winnipesaukee intel in this week's feeds, but the lake's typical late-summer pattern holds largemouth shallow around remaining weed edges while lake trout and landlocked salmon slide deeper toward the thermocline as surface water stays warm. The waxing gibbous moon should favor low-light feeding windows at dawn and dusk. Worth checking with a Winnipesaukee-area shop directly before planning a trip, since this week's sourced reports lean toward the river system.
Smallmouth stay hot regionally as Winnipesaukee eyes early fall shift
USGS gauge 01081000 logged a steady late-afternoon flow of 321 cfs on August 24, with no water-temperature reading available for Lake Winnipesaukee this cycle. Direct testimony from the lake itself is thin this week. The closest regional signal comes from The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, where Roger Aziz Jr. reports smallmouth bass action remains excellent along the nearby Merrimack River corridor, including the Hooksett, New Hampshire stretch, a reasonable proxy for how smallmouth are behaving across central New Hampshire water right now. No source this cycle reported directly on largemouth bass, lake trout, or landlocked salmon at Winnipesaukee, so we're leaning on typical late-August patterns rather than fresh testimony for those species. Anglers should expect smallmouth to stay the more reliable target through the week, with deeper structure worth checking as trout and salmon likely hold near the thermocline.
Big stripers push toward the Gulf of Maine as cod reopener nears
NOAA buoy 44007, sitting in the Gulf of Maine off the ME/NH border, read 65°F on the morning of August 24 with light winds near 7 mph — comfortable late-summer water with nothing pushing fish off the bite. Just south along the Massachusetts coast, The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME reports striper action is "all big fish right now," with Gloucester's Beauport Fishing Adventures noting heavy squid and pogie activity pulling larger stripers within range, while bluefish remain completely absent above Salem so far this year. The bigger story for NH anglers: that same regional roundup flags Gulf of Maine cod finally reopening September 1st with a 1-fish limit at a 23-inch minimum, the first access all year after cod stayed closed through 2026, even as the Southern New England stock area remains shut through year-end. We're reading calm, stable conditions heading into the last week of August with the early fall transition just starting to show.
Merrimack River smallmouth bite carries into late August
Smallmouth bass remain the headline story on the Merrimack River system this week, with anglers working the stretch below the Lawrence dam down to Haverhill picking up fish up to 13 inches on white spinnerbaits, Aziz-rigged Senkos, and Whopper Ploppers, per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater. Largemouth bass are mixed in on the same water, and the report notes more anglers are working the water above the dam than below it, suggesting bigger fish may still be holding in less-pressured stretches — a pattern that often extends into New Hampshire's share of the watershed. Elsewhere in New England freshwater, Jerry's Bait and Tackle reported largemouth, pickerel, and perch action on shiners and plastics at nearby ponds. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came in for Merrimack/Winnipesaukee specifically today, so treat water temps and flow as seasonal norms until the next data pull. Lake Winnipesaukee's smallmouth and lake trout fisheries should be following similar late-August patterns.
Winnipesaukee bass slide deep as late-summer heat holds
Lake Winnipesaukee is settling into the classic late-August pattern for New Hampshire's biggest lake: bass working shallow in the low light of dawn and dusk, then sliding onto deeper structure once the sun climbs. No fresh buoy or gauge readings came through for this update, so today's report leans on regional angling intel rather than a hard water-temp or flow number, check a local forecast and your own thermometer before heading out. Blogs like Fishing the Midwest and Tactical Bassin have been flagging that same shallow-to-deep shift on warm-water lakes all month, with forward-facing sonar increasingly the go-to for finding bass suspended off traditional bottom structure once the heat sets in, and it's a pattern that typically holds true on Winnipesaukee as well. Lake trout and landlocked salmon are the deep-water play this time of year, usually well below the thermocline. We're not seeing New Hampshire-specific reports this cycle, so treat the species status below as seasonal expectation rather than a confirmed bite.
Big Stripers Push Into the Gulf of Maine as an Early Fall Bite Builds
Fishing north of Cape Cod is showing an early taste of fall. The Fisherman (Northeast)'s New England Video Fishing Forecast reports striper action has 'caught fire' from Maine to Boston, with big fish mixed into ferocious mackerel-and-bonito feeds, a shift tied to a slipping average water temp and last week's new moon. Closer to the NH coast, Beauport Fishing Adventures out of Rockport reports landing big stripers off Dry Salvages feeding heavily on pogies (too big to keep, but great sport), with squid piling up east of Cape Ann and mackerel still thick, per The Fisherman — South Shore MA to ME. Groundfishing in the same stretch has pollock running solid with a spottier haddock bite. Bluefish remain scarce closer to the South Shore, per Belsan's Bait and Tackle, so don't count on blues yet this far north. We're calling this an early-arriving fall pattern worth chasing over the next week or two.